Semiconductor diodes, when made in production quantities, generally have been made by utilizing conventional etching procedures to form a plurality of diode devices within a single substrate. In such techniques it also has been necessary to utilize mechanical lapping and polishing procedures to provide the devices with predetermined thicknesses. The resultant devices at some stages in the manufacturing process are delicate and fragile and, therefore, easily damaged or broken, resulting in poor production quantities. Furthermore, mechanical procedures for controlling thicknesses have not only been conducive to such damage but also have not proved to be suitable for establishing precise and reproducible thicknesses.